


Stars Like Flecks

by wendylesbiaburger



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Soulmate-Identifying Marks, i got back into south park and into creek hard fam, it also wasn't mean to even be finished, past fake relationship, this wasn't meant to be this long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 12:30:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16017974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendylesbiaburger/pseuds/wendylesbiaburger
Summary: Craig never took the soulmates system seriously. He preferred the concept of finding his own love. That was an easy thought until he finds Tweek's face peppered with stars.





	Stars Like Flecks

**Author's Note:**

> So look, they're literally canon but lets pretend our beloved homosexuals were still faking it. But we know how it is, they're gay, I'm gay, you're gay, lets go.

Craig had decided a long time ago the soulmate system was fucking stupid. 

It wasn’t like a lot of people took it seriously to begin with. It was sometimes hard to see your soulmates mark, not knowing if it’s just a cool tattoo or a sign of destiny. And it wasn’t people asked other if they could see some stranger’s tattoo. 

You couldn’t see other people’s soulmate marks. You couldn’t even see your own or your soulmates until you were eighteen. No one really knew why. People just kind of accepted it. The marks usually had something to do with your soulmate, as some sort of indication. Craig didn’t think about it much. At least until he got his own.

Well, maybe not just getting his own. His mark was a weird splatter of what looked like ovals on his left cheek. His first instinct that morning was to try and rub it off, thinking it was some sort of smudge. When he’d remembered it was his birthday, sighed in annoyance, and drove to school. 

He’d decided he wouldn’t worry about it. He might never even meet his soulmate. It didn’t matter if some birthmark looking shit said he somehow belonged with someone. Why couldn’t he be in charge of his own life? 

He mostly forgot about that when he got to his usual meeting point with Tweek, Clyde, Jimmy, and Token. Mostly when he saw Tweek. 

Something was very clearly on his face that wasn’t there yesterday. There was something new on his face. If he’d never seen him before he probably would’ve assumed they were freckles. But when Craig was close enough he realised they were small stars. 

Jesus fucking christ. 

It was a good thing he had emotional control. Otherwise he’d probably have a breakdown right there in the hallway. 

His sort-of-but-not-really-ex-boyfriend was his soulmate. Fan-fucking-tastic. 

“Happy birthday, asshole,” Clyde said, which brought him back into reality. 

His eyes shifted to Clyde. “Thanks,” he said, putting on a fake smile. “Get me anything pretty, dick?” 

“You wish.”

Token gave him a much more pleasant happy birthday. Which was nice. Jimmy stuttered out his. And Tweek said it with a small smile, in between taking sip in a to-go cup of coffee from his parents coffee place. 

A few years ago, Tweek actually got diagnosed with an anxiety disorder after their middle school guidance counsellor referred him to a psychiatrist, and he was finally put on meds. In Tweek’s own words, he definitely was still really fucking anxious but it was easier to handle. It was actually nice that he was dealing with it now, even if some people thought they were just feeding a child drugs. In his opinion, it was better that than him being terrified North Korea was going to kill him after each one of Garrison’s asinine tweets. 

“Can I have some?” he asked, pointing to the coffee.

He scrunched his nose at him. “Gross dude no.”

He pouted. “It’s my birthday though?” And it wouldn’t be the first time they’d shared spit, but he wasn’t going to worry about that right now. 

“No asshole!” But he still smiled at him. 

“Fine,” he said. “But you owe me.” 

He really hoped he hadn’t been staring at the star freckles the entire time.

…

He and Tweek had ‘broken up’ in sixth grade. 

No one really talked about that time they were gay for two years. It was easy to excuse things you did as a little kid. They broke up, declared their Not Gay-ness, and moved on with their lives. 

For the longest time, he’d spent his time convincing himself it wasn’t a real breakup. Their relationship wasn’t real in the first place. While the whole thing did make them much closer than they were before (because when someone is your fake boyfriend and you’re fake gay, you get to know them pretty well), it did still kind of sting to breakup. 

Somehow they were able to keep up the charade for two years. In between hand holding – even when they didn’t have to – and Craig calling Tweek pet names – even when they were alone – they kept it up, duping the town they were really gay and boyfriends. And for what? So the town wouldn’t be sad because they thought they were a couple after some Asian girls drew them as if they were? 

Well, he thought that until the night he had a wet dream that most definitely involved Tweek. Then he actually started to worry. 

He’d decided long before that that he wasn’t actually gay. He was just in a situation that was weird and maybe a little fucked up. But it wasn’t like he and Tweek were or ever had really been a couple. 

He didn’t really question it until the dream. That had made him realise how much he’d liked holding Tweek’s hand. How easily he called him ‘babe’ and ‘honey’. How his stomach would go into knots when Tweek would smile at him. How he was the only person he would lose control of his emotions over. 

He was Tweek. That’s who he was. And apparently he was also his soulmate. 

He still thought the system was stupid. 

But he knew it wasn’t the same for Tweek. He’d gone on tangents when they were together wondering how he’d explain to his future soulmate why he dated a guy in fourth grade. When they got a little older, Tweek had decided ‘I was ten’ would be an easy excuse. He believed in the system because his parents were soulmates. 

The little specks of what he’d realised were fucking coffee beans changed that. He still wasn’t sure what he was going to do. He knew Tweek would freak out when he could see the marks. But he should probably not tell him. He should let him find out for himself. He was going to freak out either way. 

Then he’d question why he’d said the should kiss. Then that would lead to asking if he’d lied when he said he didn’t like it. Then he’ll get to the impending realisation that maybe he had lied when he said he didn’t like it. That maybe they both had been gay this whole time.

Craig had decided the only solution for now was banging his head against a wall. 

It definitely was a little too loud, as his door opened and Tricia walked in frowning. 

“What the hell are you doing?”

He glared at her, his head still against the wall. “Fuck off, Tricia.”

She stared at him. “Is this about your soulmate?”

“I SAID FUCK OFF, TRICIA!” 

She didn’t even flinch. She just blinked at him. Tricia was pretty much immune to any kind of outburst from him. Giving her the finger from the time she was a holder definitely helped. 

Tricia fell into the people who believed the whole soulmate thing. She hadn’t pestered him about his mark, but when he and Tweek were still dating she’d asked him if he’d thought Tweek was his soulmate. He’d been left sputtering and telling her to fuck off. 

“Do you know who it is?” she asked. 

He glared at her and stepped away from the wall. “No, can you fuck off now?” 

“So why were you banging your head against the wall?”

“Science project.”

She clearly didn’t believe him. But she shrugged and left him alone. 

Maybe he should opt for screaming into his pillow for a few hours instead. 

…

Craig was happy his friends weren’t the nosy types. Otherwise they’d be asking a million and one questions about his soulmate. 

They hadn’t even acted like something was different. Sometimes girls cared a lot and would pester their friends what their mark looked like. But his friends just treated it like it was any other birthday. 

They met up at the diner they always had. It’d been their usual meeting place on weekends since middle school. Even if all they ate was complementary pretzels and loitered until they got kicked out. 

“Hey, assholes,” he said when he got to their regular table, Jimmy, Token, and Clyde already there. He sat next to Clyde, across from the others. He looked between them, a little confused. 

“Where’s Tweek?” Tweek was the opposite of a late person. He had an anxiety about someone getting to their table before them. So he was always the first there, even sometimes waiting for people at their table to leave and snagging it immediately. 

“Parents making him work a later shift so he can’t make it,” Token shrugged, already eating pretzels he’d set on a napkin. 

“Oh,” he said. “Okay.” 

Thank god he was great at masking his emotions. 

When he and Tweek were pretending to date, their friends never really seemed to mind. They were casual about it after the initial confusion. They were actually more surprised when they broke up. Even more surprised when they said it was because it turned out they weren’t actually gay. Clyde had even told them they seemed like they really were gay. In part because of how much they’d seemed to like each other, in part that they had never really been interested in girls at all. Clyde even sited Tweek being a bad tipper at Rasins as an example. 

Craig himself had spent a lot of time trying to figure out if he liked girls. It was its own process. Wet dream aside, he’d thought for the longest time he did like girls for no other reason than it was just the way it was. He wasn’t really given an option to be anything but straight. But when no girls caught his attention, not the red head in his physics class who asked him to homecoming or even the girls at the Hooters he, Jimmy, Clyde, Tweek, and Token drove to, he started to realise it was more so the idea of girls he was focussed on and not actually being with one. 

Even after his and Tweek’s first fake breakup, where it ended with Tweek making it look like he was some manipulative asshole, not getting girls was an afterthought. But he’d brought it up to Tweek to be the final nail in the coffin that he wasn’t gay. Especially after his dad’s reaction. Until he came to talk to him in his room. A piece of him still appreciated his dad telling him he couldn’t fight being gay. Even if it wasn’t helping him at the moment, at least his dad won’t freak out if he and Tweek worked things out. 

Frankly, everyone would be happy they’d been soulmates this entire time. But worrying about the town was what got them in the mess in the first place. 

“What are you doing?” Token asked, frowning at him.

“What?” he asked. 

“You’ve been scratching you’re chee- cheek for fuh-five minutes,” Jimmy said. 

He blinked, realising he was indeed scratching his cheek. Specifically the spot with the coffee bean splatter. He dropped his hand down to his side. 

“You okay, dude?” Token asked. 

“Yeah, you’ve been acting wuh- weird all w-week,” Jimmy added. 

“What? No I haven’t,” he argued. 

“Yes you are,” Clyde argued. “You’re being weirder than usual.”

He narrowed his eyes at him. “I’m not being weird. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He took out his phone, in hopes they’d stop goading him. Because he wasn’t going to make up an excuse or even blame it on his soulmate mark. Because then they’d ask questions of who his soulmate was and he wasn’t ready for that. He didn’t want it to get back to Tweek and for him to figure it out it was him. Because really, who else would coffee beans mean? 

When he glanced up, he noticed his friends exchange a look between them before going Clyde started to talk about the girl’s volleyball team and discussing who the hottest was. That would keep them occupied for a while. 

He decided to stalk Instagram instead, hopefully it’d be some kind of distraction. He scrolled down his timeline, liking the pictures of people he was friends with. He was doing it mostly mindlessly until one tweet caught his eye. 

It was a picture of Tweek, in the back of his parents’ coffee place. He’d posted it a few hours ago, and the caption read “another day in the coffee grind.” His typical humour, the punny kind he’d developed over time. But that wasn’t what caught his attention.

He could see his star freckles in the picture. 

He stared at the picture. He’d never wondered if marks were visible in photos, it was a thought that had never crossed his mind. But apparently they were.

That made him wonder. 

He went to his profile and tapped on a picture of him, Tweek, and Clyde. It was just a regular picture, nothing particularly special. But there was something different about it. 

He could see their marks. You couldn’t miss it. Tweek’s face was scrunched in a smile while he leaned into the middle of the picture, close to him as Clyde was on Craig’s other side. 

Tweek’s star freckles scrunched into the creases of his skin. They looked so natural on his skin, like the belonged there. He always had a thing for freckles and he’d never thought it’d find a way to tie into his love of space. His stomach kind of fluttered as he stared at Tweek.

He held back a huff and put his phone away. His stomach fluttering was a normal feeling he had when he looked at Tweek. At ten and at eighteen. It had never really gone away. Being around Tweek, even just looking at him, made him happier than he could really articulate. It was his messy hair, how he always smelt like coffee, the fact he bought him a new guinea pig when Stripe #3 died. 

God, he was so fucking gay. 

He stood up from his spot in the booth, catching the attention of the rest of the group. 

“What’re doing?” Clyde asked. He’d interrupted their conversation, still in the midst of debating who was hotter. Craig hadn’t been listening at all, but he already knew all his answers would be along the lines of ‘she has a face’. 

“I need to go home,” he said. He knew he was no longer alleviate suspicion but he could deal with it later, or they’d probably forget about it entirely. 

“Oh, okay,” Clyde said. 

“S-s-see you on Muh-Monday then,” Jimmy said.

“See you,” he said and was out the door on trek to Tweak Bros.. 

…

Tweek’ parents were people Craig was far too used to. When he and Tweek were still fake dating, they were pretty happy about their relationship and were really welcoming to him.

Nowadays, they acted like he and Tweek had some sort of terrible breakup and gave him the constant cold shoulder. Despite the excuse that they broke up because they weren’t actually gay and no ones feelings were hurt. Even more so, they just went back to being friends. And better friends than they previously were really. He’d caught onto small things with Craig, things his parents even missed. Like how touch helped with Tweek’s anxiety. If he was thankful for their fake dating for anything, it was that they understood each other a lot better. 

He saw Tweek behind the counter, where typically he’d be taking orders but that day was pretty quiet. So he could easily talk to him, unless his parents saw and snapped at Tweek to continue working. 

He walked to the counter and smiled. “Hey, dude.”

Tweek turned from cleaning to counter to him. He blinked at him for a moment then smiled. “Hey,” he said. “Aren’t the guys still hanging out?”

He shrugged. “They’ll be fine without me,” he said. “Anything good you want to recommend?”

“My parents introduced a new mint marshmallow coffee,” he said pointing to the small display sitting on the counter. “Something about the cold mountain spirit or something.”

He raised his brow. That sounded pretty disgusting. Tweek Bros. was doing fine, why would they resort to gross flavoured concoctions? “That’s gay,” he said. 

“You’re gay.” He replied like it was automatic. Because it kind of was. It was a joke they had when they were still dating. People had typically let them get away with it because they’d thought they really were gay. They never broke the habit after their breakup, but it remained the kind of inside joke they only did around each other. 

The freckles on Tweek’s face became more and more obvious. “Did you bake cupcakes today?” Tweek had become his parents’ go to baker when his mom couldn’t go to the store. At least for cupcakes. And Tweek’s cupcakes were the amazing.

“Sorry, dude,” he said and shook his head. “I haven’t even really had time, college applications and everything.”

He frowned and nodded. “Right.”

“Oh don’t be like that,” he said but smiled anyway. “I’ll make you some if you’re nice to me.” 

He smiled back at him. “What? Like give you a massage or something?”

“That’s gay.”

“You’re gay.”

And they laughed and once again, the nice fluttering feeling was in his stomach. 

He should tell him. He really should. But he knew telling him would freak him out and maybe it was better to figure out a game plan by his birthday. Then he’d know what to do when Tweek goes into a near panic attack when he sees the smudge on his face. That’s if the star freckles weren’t clue enough for him. Then after he goes through his gay panic again, they’d probably have to figure out if they want to get back together. Maybe even do something like talk about what they were in elementary school and what that even meant. 

“Tweek, are you working?” Tweek’s dad asked, stepping out of the staff room. 

He turned his head to him. “Yes, dad. I was just getting Craig’s coffee.” 

Craig looked at Tweek’s dad and noticed his eyes were flicking between them. “Okay then,” he said. “Make it quick and then mop the floor.” He turned back into the staff room, closing the door behind him.

“Your parents really need to hire more people,” he said, turning back to him. 

“Yeah,” he huffed. “I’ll hang out with you guys next weekend.”

“Or we could ditch and go to the arcade,” he suggested, smiling at him.

“I’m not going to get grounded just for that, Craig,” he said. “You want a coffee though? On me.”

He smiled. “Sure, as long as it’s not that weird marshmallow mint shit.”

“Good call,” he laughed. There was that fluttery feeling again. It probably wasn’t going to go away for a while. 

…

Craig’s mom had made meatloaf, which Craig could barely stomach most nights. But stomaching his mom’s cooking had been particularly harder lately. 

He was sitting with his head in his hand, pushing his food with his fork. 

“You’re quiet, Craig,” his mom said. He glanced up at her and noticed she was giving him a concerned look. 

He sat up straighter. “I’m fine, mom,” he said and took a bite of mashed potatoes. 

His dad didn’t seem to notice, not with the way he was chewing down his food. Tricia on the other hand was staring at him with a raised brow.

“Hey, what does your soulmate mark look like?” he asked with a cheeky smile. 

He coughed on the potatoes he still had in his mouth. He grabbed his glass of water and took a long sip. 

“Tricia, leave your brother alone,” his mom said. “You know that’s rude to ask.” 

Tricia was still staring at him, like she was trying to see if she could somehow see his mark herself. Hopefully she wouldn’t harass him about it too much later. 

“I’m going to my room,” he said and got up from the dinner table and went upstair before anyone could protest. 

He fell on his bed, burying his face into his pillow. 

Why did this have to be so overwhelming? Why couldn’t he just get the easy route and have a soulmate who wasn’t both one of his best friends and his ex-boyfriend? He could live with being gay but the fact he was going back round to Tweek was too much. 

He pushed himself off from his bed and looked at the crate that held Stripe. The same Stripe he and Tweek had got together. 

He walked to the cage and looked down at him. His bowl was full and was squeaking as he nibbled on his food. He was almost eight by now, and Craig knew he didn’t have much time left. When he and Tweek broke up, Tweek basically insisted that he’d be the one who got to keep him. Craig felt kind of bad since Tweek was the one who paid for him but Tweek visited him all the time to make up for it. Tricia had always said Stripe should be able to see both of his gay dad’s. Craig usually yelled at her when she called them that. 

Stripe did look really cute as he ate, and he couldn’t help but smile. He took out his phone and took a picture of him, and texted it to Tweek. He always responded well to pictures of Stripe. 

He got a text back a few moments later. 

Tweek: oh I miss him :(

Craig rolled his eyes but a smile was still on his lips. Tweek had seen him when he came over three weeks ago. He really was like their fucking child. 

Craig: come over sometime I’m sure he misses you too

Tweek: tomorrow good?

Craig: yeah see you then

He tossed his phone onto his bed and looked down at Stripe. He kneeled down and stared at him. He was getting old, his face was greying a little. He was basically an physical image of how long it had been since he and Tweek had dated. How Tweek got him Stripe as a gift. How much he’d appreciated it at the time since he was so sad when the previous Stripe died. He’d made sure to take care of this Stripe, more than he’d had with his others. It was at least one piece of their fake relationship that was real. 

He bit his lip and stood up. Maybe it was the right time to ask this question.

He walked downstairs and saw his dad at the living room table. He chewed his lip and walked towards him, interrupting what ever sculpture he was working on. He didn’t care enough to ask. “Hey dad?”

He turned in his seat towards him. “Yeah, Craig?” 

“Did you ever meet your soulmate?” 

That made him drop the glue he was holding onto the floor. Craig stared at it, his dad not making a move to pick it up.

“Craig, you know your mother and I don’t care about that,” he said. 

“That wasn’t the question,” he said. He knew his parents weren’t soulmates. That wasn’t the problem. It was if his dad ever met his own and what made him turn away from them. 

He huffed, and turned back to his model. “I did, years ago,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean I love your mother any less.” 

“But why did you choose mom over her?” 

“I love your mom.”

That was good to know. “But did the soulmate thing ever mean anything?” 

“Craig,” he sighed and turned back to him. “You have to decide for yourself. Some mark on your skin shouldn’t dictate that.” 

He stared at the ground. When Tweek was the kind of person who fully believed in it with no doubts. “It’s just…” Scary. New. Different. Unexpected. “Confusing,” he settled on. 

His dad gave him a sympathetic look. “Craig, if she feels like the right girl then she’s the right girl, okay?”

Oh right. His dad thought he was back to being straight, that being gay really was just some phase he went through because he was a dumb kid. He forgot how quickly his dad stopped thinking of him as gay. It kind of took away from how much his dad actually being supportive meant to him. 

He could find out in his own time. He wasn’t about to tell him he was still gay quite yet. 

“Thanks anyway, dad,” he muttered and walked back upstairs. 

Well, looks like his dad would have to go through the process of accepting he’s gay all over again. He’d rather wait until if he and Tweek were together again to worry about that. 

…

“So you keep him in his cage?” Tweek asked when they got into his room. Craig’s parents were like Tweek’s parents when they broke up. Any remarks were always countered with ‘we were ten’, which worked most of the time. His parents at least didn’t think they were having sex in his room. Craig kept the door open anyway, he knew if he’d closed it Tricia would slam it open like she was expecting to see them on top of each other. 

“He’s getting old and he shits everywhere,” he shrugged as Tweek picked him up. He smiled at the guinea pig as if he was his own child or something. 

“God, he is,” he said. “I got him when we were, what? Ten?” 

He smiled. “Yeah, when my old one died. Remember? You dragged me to the pet store and offered to pay for him.” 

He laughed. “I remember, I’d hated seeing you upset when your other one died.” He petted Stripe’s nose and he made small squeaks as he did, licking his fingers. 

He smiled as he watched him, and he noticed how Tweek’s hair kind of fell into his face. He was still smiling down at Stripe and Craig could only think of how fucking gorgeous Tweek looked. It was such a causal setting and that somehow made him even more gorgeous.

Yeah, he was so fucking gay.

Tweek turned to him and smiled at him. Craig had grown a few inches taller than him when they hit puberty. It wasn’t too much but it was enough that sometimes Tweek had to look up at him. 

“Can I keep him at my house for a few days?” he asked. “If that’s okay?”

He smiled again. He wouldn’t say he never smiled but he definitely smiled more around Tweek. “Sure, he is our guinea pig.” He ignored how gay that had sounded. 

“I think he misses you too,” he decided to say. He wasn’t sure how true that statement was, but Stripe seemed happy to see him. 

He turned back to him, and for a moment his eyes drifted to the star freckles. The stars were black and shaped like the typical star stickers. Like the glow in the dark kind he’d stuck to his ceiling when he was ten with Tweek’s help. It was a lot of fun jumping on his bed and sticking them to the ceiling. He remembered on the first night Tweek had slept over and as they laid on his bed -- the door wide open because apparently his parents couldn’t trust them as ten-year-olds – they looked really cool. 

His eyes moved from them before he stared at them too long. Tweek didn’t seem to notice. 

“Cool, just put his things in a bag. He hasn’t seen his other dad enough.” 

His lips twitched into a smile. God, he really was the only person who could genuinely make him smile. “That’s gay.” 

He scrunched his nose at him. He might’ve been trying to glare but he came across as a slightly twitchy kitten. “You’re gay.” 

He smiled again and flicked his nose. “Just make sure this doesn’t make him like you more than he likes me. I’m his main dad.” 

“Hey, it’s not his fault his dads were never together.” 

He was able to stop his body from stiffening. But that was one of the few times they’d ever acknowledged they’d pretended to be a couple. They typically pretended it never happened because that was easier than acknowledging it. If they pretended it never happened, then it was easier to pretend it wasn’t ever real. 

He only had a few months until Tweek’s birthday and then they’d actually have to talk about it. To decide whether or not they’d even be together. To acknowledge that they both were not as straight as they’d said when they broke up. 

Maybe he should tell him. It wasn’t fair to him that he knew and he didn’t. This could be a good time to tell him. When they’re just hanging together with their guinea pig. 

But the words just wouldn’t come out. And the spot where his mark was felt like it was burning. 

“Just make sure you don’t let him run around Tweek Bros.,” he said, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. “He’d shit everywhere.” 

He frowned at him and looked down at Stripe. “I’m sure you wouldn’t do that, Stripe.” 

“Yes, he would,” he said flatly, which was kind of contradicted by the smile on his face, which only grew when Tweek smiled at him. 

“Fine,” he said. “But I’m gonna let him run around my room.” 

“Okay but it’s your carpet.” 

... 

Movie night at Clyde ranked pretty high on Craig’s list of favourite things. Wednesday nights were nights everyone else was busy – Tweek had work, Token had AP tutoring, and Jimmy hung out with Timmy – so they used it as a night to hang out with just each other. Clyde didn’t even use it as a chance to bring girls and set him up with someone. He saw their movie night as something sacred. 

 

When he got to Clyde’s house, he could already smell popcorn. He usually let himself in, and he’d known him long enough that his parents didn’t even care. 

 

“Hey, asshole,” he said and fell on the couch. “What’d you choose?” They typically altered who chose the movie. The other couldn’t even protest what they chose, which was both a blessing and a curse. Clyde had a soft spot for romcoms and while some were pretty good, he’d gotten a little burn out on all these damn straight movies. Emphasis on fucking straight. 

 

Clyde grinned and picked up a DVD. “Spider Man: Homecoming.” 

“Sweet,” he said and picked up the bowl of popcorn from the coffee table. He took a handful and shoved it into his mouth. It was soggy with butter because Clyde was disgusting and literally put butter in the microwave and would always pour it all over the popcorn. 

“Yeah, it was this or Valentine’s Day which I know you’d absolutely love,” he gave him a cheeky smile. 

“Fuck you, dude,” he said and glared at him as he put the DVD in and sat next to him, snatching the popcorn from his lap. He rolled his eyes and sat back on the couch. Clyde was the type that stayed quiet during a movie, so he could concentrate and tune out when he wanted. He liked the movie but he kind of saw these nights to mostly relax with the company of someone he more than tolerated. Even if Clyde could sometimes chose girls over friends, it was nice they had at least one night where he dropped that. He didn’t even bother him with quips about any girls he was interested in. 

Except for once, Clyde did break the silence. “Craig, can I ask you something?”

He looked at him, not bothering to lift his body from his slouched position. Clyde was looking at him, sitting hunched over. 

“What? I’m trying to watch the movie.” 

He glanced away for a moment, then looked back at him. “Is Tweek your soulmate?” 

He flinched. He wasn’t able to stop himself from not. He wasn’t used to lying to Clyde. It was always something small like “yeah that girl is hot” or “yes she’s definitely interested in you”. But a piece of him felt like he couldn’t lie about this. But he sure would try.

“What? Dude, I’m not even gay.” 

“Dude, I’m not that dumb.” 

He stared at him. “What the hell does that mean?” he asked. He told him he wasn’t gay in middle school. Sure, it was a complete lie but he’d tried his hardest to not show signs that he was. He acted differently around Tweek when they weren’t alone, he kept a neutral expression in any and every movie a hot dude took his shirt off in, and he pretended to tolerate the girls Clyde would set him up with. 

“Because I know you, and I know that you and Tweek really liked each other.” 

His mind jumped to the memories of fourth grade, and the first time they held hands in public. He was still really torn on that moment. What it even meant. On the outside, it looked real and authentic but he kept making excuses to himself, reminding himself that it was all because of Tweek’s idea to fake it so the town wouldn’t be sad anymore. Even though they did it for two years. Even though the pictures stopped a long time before their breakup. 

They never technically even said it was fake. He clung to what Tweek said one time and let his confusion convince him that that’s what it was. 

To any other person, they looked like two kids who were dating and really liked each other. And that’s what it felt like most of the time too. Then he’d have to pull himself back into reality and remind himself it was fake and they weren’t really boyfriends. Maybe that was why he ended it. Because it not only looked too real and felt too real, maybe it was too real. They were ten, and by the time they were twelve everyone else had gone through breakups and were onto someone different. While everyone was busy with starting middle school and hormones and all that kind of stuff, he and Tweek were still together and holding hands and using pet names and... 

“We were ten.” He’d said it so much over the years that now, it was just dull when it came out. It was a useless defence, the older he got the more he realised that no straight guy would pretend to date one of his guy friends for any reason, and definitely not for two years. 

“Craig, answer the question; is Tweek your soulmate?” 

He heaved a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes,” he said. “And yes, I am gay.” 

“Didn’t need to tell me that, again, it was obvious.” 

He rolled his eyes. “How’d you figure out Tweek’s my soulmate?” 

He shrugged. “You’ve acted differently around him,” he said. “And sometimes you’d look at him like you did when you were dating. Why did you breakup with him if you are gay anyway? And then claim that you’re not.” 

He glared at him. “I’m not talking about that with you,” he said. “How’d you figure out I was gay anyway?” 

He shrugged. “Lots of things, I guess. Even in fourth grade. Even back then you were so not into girls at all. You always made jokes about how gross and annoying they were. That was almost gayer than literally dating Tweek.”

Finally, he laughed. It came out deep as he rested his head against the back of the couch. 

“Jesus,” he huffed. “And here I thought I was good at hiding it.”

Clyde laughed and sat back against the couch. “Are you going to tell him you’re soulmates?”

He shook his head. “No,” he said. “I’m going to wait until his birthday and then he can figure it out for himself.”

He frowned. “That doesn’t sound so smart,” he said. “I think he’d prefer hearing it from you.”

He shook his head. “No, he’s going to freak out and panic and shit. I don’t want to do that to him.” 

He raised a brow at him. “He’s going to freak out anyway, dude. I think he’d prefer for you to actually tell him.” 

The truth was, he would. Tweek used to always harp on him for being a problem solver, for being to logical. That was what lead to their first real fight — sans the fight they got tricked into — and he knew from then he’d had to actually acknowledge people’s emotions if he wanted to make them feel better. But this wasn’t like that, he was the one who had to decide what would be best to do for this stupidly specific thing. Tweek might get upset he didn’t tell him, or he’d get upset he did. That question really was what would be better. 

“So I’m guessing you do want to be with him then?” Clyde asked. 

He looked at him and sighed. “I know he would want to,” he said. “I don’t know how to explain it, dude. I liked it when he and I were dating, I kind of wish I never, like, broke it off.” 

He’d never really said that aloud. That he did have a big regret about breaking it off and lying to Tweek and to everyone. When he’d really realised he was gay, he’d decided that Tweek was just straight and he’d never have to worry about any what if’s ever again. Maybe it’d be a funny story to tell future boyfriends, when he was out of South Park and could be out a lot easier. Not figure out if he and Tweek really would have some future.

This was stupidly difficult. 

“I say tell him,” Clyde shrugged. “Communication and all.”

He chewed his lip. “But I fucking suck at that.”

“I know,” he said flatly. “But you really need it. I think Tweek especially would feel better about it.”

He rubbed his eyes and sighed. He was right, they both knew what Tweek was like, Craig especially. He couldn’t let his own fear get in the way. “Maybe I should.” 

“Good,” Clyde smiled and fell back against the couch and turned back to the TV. Craig smiled, feeling kind of relived and like he could finally work out what to do. “Now, tell me, is Tom Holland as hot as girls make him out to be?”

Kicking Clyde in the shin definitely ruined their nice moment. 

…

When Craig got home from Clyde’s, the only person downstairs was his mom. She was sat on the couch, watching whatever show. Craig didn’t care. 

He’d been wondering one thing for a while. He’d been too scared to face it, for a lot of reasons. Maybe it was time he did ask. 

She turned and looked at him. “Hi, sweetie,” she said. “Have a good time at Clyde’s?” 

He nodded. “Yeah,” he said and walked across the room towards her. “Mom… can I ask you something?”

“Sure, hun,” she said, her eyes were still on the TV as she asked. 

He bit his lip and shuffled on the spot. “Did you ever meet your soulmate?” 

That made her look at him. She’d gone pale and it felt like she was looking into his soul. “Why do you ask, sweetie?”

He’d struck a nerve. He didn’t expect that, he’d thought it’d be the same with his dad. Where he seemed adamant on his relationship with his mom. But he’d started to wonder if it was mutual. 

He shrugged at her. “I was just curious, been thinking about soulmates a lot lately.”

She swallowed and looked at her lap. “Yes, I did meet him,” she said, in such a quiet tone Craig was a little caught off guard. 

“And? What made you choose dad over him?”

She nervously tugged on her hair. “I already knew you dad,” she said. “We were already married.”

He blinked at her. “So what happened?”

She shuffled in her spot and grabbed the remote. “I have to go to bed, sweetie,” she said and turned off the TV. His mouth dropped as he watched her speed to the stairs, the remote left where she sat. 

“Mom,” he asked, his voice cracking, stopping her misstep. His next question was promoted by a lot of things. His black hair, the face he looked nothing like Tricia. And now his mom’s weird reaction. 

“Did you cheat on dad?” he got out. He’d sometimes wondered how often the soulmate system lead to infidelity, but he’d never thought his mom would be one of those people. His parents loved each other, she could never do that.

She looked at him, her eyes were hollow. He was starting to regret asking her that, maybe he should’ve just let it be. Left it at knowing she’s at least met her soulmate.

“Your dad is no less your dad, okay? I haven’t seen him since.” Her voice was hallow, like she wasn’t trying to convince him of anything. Just hoping he’d trust her enough to believe those words. 

He watched her continue her way upstairs. 

Yeah, he could’ve gone his whole life without knowing that. 

…

Tweek answered the door as soon as Craig knocked on the door. He smiled at him when he saw him. That stupidly cute smile. He was wearing an apron, so Craig’s best guess he was baking. Tweek had texted him to come over so he could pick up Stripe, but also to hang out since it had been a while since they’d hung out when it was just the two of them. It would also be a good time to tell him about the soulmate thing. He knew if he initiated it he’d freak out and probably confuse Tweek. Baby steps, that’s what he needed. 

“Hey, dude,” he said as he walked in. There was a smudge of flour on his cheek, and Craig had to stop himself from cleaning it off. 

“Hey,” he said, smiling at him. “What you making?”

“Snickerdoodles,” he grinned. “Wanna help?”

His stomach buzzed at the sight of his smile. “Sure.”

Admittedly, Craig was a terrible baker. When they were kids, he’d sometimes try and help Tweak when he was baking things for Tweek Bros.. Their parents had thought it was really cute, so there was more than enough pictures of them baking together. Tweek found it embarrassing but Craig had one as his phone background for weeks. Mostly to rile Tweek up but he remembered his eleven year old self thought Tweek was really cute. 

“Lucky for you, I’m at the rolling stage so you won’t fuck it up,” Tweek said, moving behind the counter. 

He scowled at him. “Fuck you, dude.”

He smiled at him. “Keep that up and I won’t let you lick the bowl.”

He laughed. “Let me wash my hands then.” 

Hands now washed, he made his way next to Tweek who’d already started rolling the batter and covering it in a cinnamon and sugar mixture. 

“So, Stripe’s been behaving?” he asked, getting some batter and begging to try and get it into a ball shape despite the stickiness. 

“For the most part,” he said. “Though you were right about not letting him run around. My mom almost killed me when she found shit under my bed.”

“I told you so,” he smirked at him.

Tweet rolled his eyes and flicked some flour from the small container placed next to him at him. “Fuck you.”

He laughed, and wiped the flour from his cheek. “So he’s in his cage?” He nodded. “Did he miss me?”

“Nah, he likes me more than you.” 

He glared at him for real this time. “Oh fuck you, dude.”

He snorted, seemingly pleased with the nerve he struck. “I get it, Stripe’s the only thing your care about. He even beats your family.”

“True,” he nodded. “You’re a close second though.” It was mostly a joke, but for a while Stripe and Tweek were the only things he really cared about. 

Tweek rolled his eyes. “I’m flattered,” he said and tossed a rolled ball onto the baking tray. “Thanks for letting me have him for a few days at least.”

He shrugged. “No big deal, you were the one who paid for him. Which you held over my head.”

He laughed. “I remember,” he said. “We were so petty when we were little.”

He nodded. He remembered that fight, one of the times when it was so blurred if they were friends or if they were boyfriends. If it was real or they were still faking it for show. 

He usually tried his best to not over think it. Not when he was staring right at his star freckles. 

“Yeah. We were.” He had to tell him. 

How the hell was he going to tell him? 

They finished off the snickerdoodles, and Tweek was able to sweet talk him to help out with the dishes. In the time, Mrs Tweak came in and said hello to Craig. She had a look like she’d expected them to be in the middle of something else. Tweek didn’t seem to notice it. Or maybe it wasn’t there at all and Craig had really convinced himself everyone could see right through him to how he felt about Tweek. 

Once they were done cleaning up and the snickerdoodles were cooling down on the counter, Tweek took him upstairs to get Stripe. 

Tweek’s room had changed over time. His room was pretty minimal since he helped with his anxiety. Although, Tweek always made sure to remind him it wasn’t going to go away, it just made it easier to manage. 

So there wasn’t a lot going on in his room. Nothing was on the walls, his bed was neatly made, and his laptop was sat on a desk that otherwise only had a pile of textbooks on it. Stripe’s cage sat on top of his dresser. It had little personality to it really. It was almost a hotel room. But he did notice that Tweek seemed calmed by it. 

Besides, he’d seen his laptop desktop and that was its own kind of mess. 

Craig kicked the door behind him closed as Tweek sat on his bed, kicking his feet onto it. He gave him a curious look as he crossed the room. “You okay?” he asked.

Was this the time he should tell him? It was a good chance to. They were alone, they’d been enjoying their time together. 

He had to say it before he lost his nerve. 

“We’re soulmates.”

They came out a little choked, nowhere near as smooth as he’d wanted. They were barely above a whisper. Like he was scared if he spoke to loudly something bad would happen. Maybe he was just scared he’d trigger Tweek’s anxiety. 

He knew that was unavoidable though. Because no matter how gentle he had tried to be, Tweek looked stiff on his bed. He wasn’t pale at least, and he wasn’t shaking. Maybe he was just processing it.

What he didn’t expect though, was a pillow getting thrown at him, hitting him directly in the face. 

“You asshole!” Tweek shirked at him, on his feet again. “Why are you only telling me this now?”

He blinked at him, noticing that Tweek was definitely not pale. He was red with anger. And maybe he deserved it. It’d been a few months, long enough for even Clyde to figure it out.

He was hurt. That he’d go so long with keeping it from him. 

“I’m sorry,” was all he could say. “I wasn’t sure what to do.”

He glared at him. “Clearly,” he said, and tugged on his hair. He always did it when his anxiety was especially bad. Usually touching his back would help calm him down, since he didn’t realise he was doing it most of the time. But he could guess Tweek didn’t want him to touch him right now. 

“So what, we’re seriously soulmates?”

“Yes.”

“Like, you can see some mark on me?”

“Yes.” 

“And was your mark something so ambiguous you didn’t know it was me, and mine is like, in a place you can’t see so you didn’t know until right now?” 

“Tweek—”

“Answer the question! Did you just realise and that’s why I’m not knowing until now?”

He bit his lip. He was tugging on his hair even more, and he took a step forward and held up his hands. “Tweek, I know you’re upset but you need to breathe.” Breathing was the other thing that stopped the hair pulling. He didn’t like watching him violently tug on his hair. 

Tweek stared at him, his expression still cold and stiff. But he took a deep breath and his arms dropped to his side. 

“I’ve known since my birthday,” he admitted. “I just wasn’t sure how to tell you. And your mark is really hard to miss. Mine’s also really obvious.”

“What’s my mark?” he asked, his voice cracking slightly. 

“Stars. And they’re like freckles cross your nose and cheekbones.”

Tweek’s hands went for his face. “Freckles?” he groaned. 

He slightly grimaced and bit his lip. “If it helps, they’re pretty cute freckles.”

He glared at him. “That’s gay.” 

“You’re gay.”

“Yeah, I am dickwad.” 

That stopped him right there. He stared at him, a little caught off guard by that outburst. He’d assumed that like him, Tweek had been gay, or bi or queer in some way, all along. They wouldn’t be soulmates otherwise. He just didn’t think Tweek would know it after he seemed so adamant on feeling nothing from their kiss. 

Apparently like him, he’d chosen the route of the straight facade. 

“Well, uh, me too,” he mumbled. 

He frowned at him. “Okay, roll back: we’re both gay. We’re soulmates. But when you kissed me in sixth grade, literally just to make sure we weren’t really gay, you said you didn’t like it.”

He shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “So did you.”

He chewed his lip, his hand tugging on his hair again. “I lied.”

He swallowed, reaching to touch his arm to stop the tugging. He didn’t let go but he stopped tugging at least. “Me too.” 

Slowly, Tweek dropped his hand to his side. “Why did you lie? Actually, why the hell did you even initiate it?” 

“I don’t know, I was twelve.”

He groaned, his shoulders slumping. “Please stop using age as an excuse, Craig. I’m fucking sick of it.” His eyes were soft, and the look made him flush. 

He huffed. “I, well, I guess it got too real. I know we said it was fake, that we were just pretending, but it didn’t feel that way anymore. I got scared, but I wanted to figure out a way to, like, logically break it off. So I said we should kiss so I could lie and say I didn’t like it.” He’d never had the chance to explain his own rationale. All it sounded like to him was him being young and gay and scared and didn’t want to even try and face it. 

“And that’s why you lied?” he asked. “You liked it and me, but you just assumed I didn’t feel the same way?”

“Yep.”

He sighed. “The only reason I lied was because you lied. I was confused too, it felt real to me too. But because you lied, I saw it as the only option. I knew I was gay, and I wasn’t sure what to think of that after both of us being so adamant on not being gay.”

Craig nodded. “Yeah, I get what you mean. I spent so long hoping my soulmate was a girl. Like, I knew how I felt wasn’t platonic but since we were only together because people thought we were gay, it felt like I couldn’t actually be gay. Or that I was for the longest time. For either of us.”

“Like how you yelled at me that you weren’t gay, and neither was I?”

That memory flashed in his mind as he nodded. “Yeah.”

“You shouldn’t have just thought you could decide that for me,” he said and crossed his arms over his chest. “It was kind of why I didn’t tell you how I felt, you said you weren’t gay so it thought it was pointless.”

“I guess we were just stupid kids.”

“Yep.”

He nodded slowly, his eyes shifting to the floor. “There were signs I was gay before we even dated though.”

“Really? Like what?” He didn’t sound surprised, maybe curious if anything. Which was fair, Craig was barely able to admit to himself what he was going to tell him.

He met his eye again. “Do you remember that kid with Tourettes?”

He blinked at him. “Who? Uh, no.”

Of course he didn’t. “Oh, well before we were dating in fourth grade there was this kid with Tourettes. His tick was swearing.”

“And you’re bringing this up because…”

“I definitely had a fat gay crush on him. I didn’t realise it at the time though.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Really? That’s adorable.”

“Haha,” he coughed dryly. “I thought it was cool he’d just swear all the time. It was Tourettes, but I still thought it was cool. I even offered to do his laundry.” He laughed for real that time. He only had a vague memory of the kid, but he remembered enough. He was blond and anxious. Clearly he had a type. 

“Right,” Tweek nodded. “Well, I think we’re forgetting one important point.”

He frowned. “What?”

“Well uh… are we going to get back together or anything?”

Back together. God, that really made their past relationship sound more real than it had been. “Well, uh, I wouldn’t have told you if I hadn’t thought about it.”

“So you want to?” he asked, his voice slightly unsteady. “I know you don’t really buy into the whole soulmate thing.”

“It’s not that I don’t,” he said. “I just don’t think it should dictate our lives I guess. But, well, it’s you. And that makes it different I guess.”

“And the fact I do believe it?” 

He nodded slowly. “That too.” 

He shuffled in place. “Well, I’m actually happy it’s you,” he admitted, and his voice kind of caught in his throat. Craig decided that was really damn cute. “You are one of my best friends and I guess it’s good to know that everyone will be good with it.” 

He laughed. “I don’t need to relive all that shit from fourth grade, dude.” 

He laughed, which once again managed to make Craig feel really damn nice on the inside. It definitely showed on his face, because Tweek was giving him a curious look. 

“Why are you giving me that look?” Tweek asked. 

He grinned at him. “I’m just really fucking gay.”

He smiled back at him. “Yeah, me too.”

He stepped forward and took his hand in his own. They met each other’s eyes and Tweek smiled even more at him. 

“So, want to do this then? For real this time?”

He nodded. “I’d like that.” 

He reached out and touched his cheek. His thumb gently stroked his cheekbone, and Craig almost melted at the look Tweek gave him. 

This time when the kissed, it was a mutual feeling of completeness. Where this time, they weren’t going to run away. 

Craig wondered why he ever ran away in the first place.


End file.
